The North American Normande Association, NANA, is hosting their National Normande Show on Saturday, September 21 st , 2024 in conjunction with their “Cheers to 50 Years” Celebration marking
50 years that Normande Cattle have been in the United States. The National Show will start at 11am at the Iowa County Fairgrounds in Mineral Point, WI. The National Normande Show is a way for breeders from all over the United States to come and showcase their Normande cattle. This year the show is drawing fifteen breeders from five different states. The judges this year are Brian Toivola of Hibbing, MN and Emma Buss of Platteville, WI.
The NANA National Show began in 2007 and took place in Manchester, Iowa. In 2008, the association hosted the International CINOR (Counsel International Normande Organizations & Registries) during World Dairy Expo in Mineral Point, WI. Observing the show was nearly 100 CINOR attendees from Europe and South America. Six breeders exhibited forty-two Normandes. Since then NANA has continued hosting a National Show in the fall in Mineral Point, WI.
The public is invited to the show to meet the breeders and to see what Normande cattle have to offer.
The National Normande Show will also be live streamed via the associations Facebook page, North American Normande Association- NANA. This will allow spectators to enjoy this annual event from around the world. Dairy Agenda Today will also be covering the show this year.
History
The National Show ends a weekend of celebrating 50 years of Normandes in the United States. The NANA
association has roots that go back to 1974, to the original importation of Normande cattle and semen from France into the United States. Soon afterward, the American Normande Association was founded with headquarters in Kearney, Missouri. Sam Barr, a well-respected Angus breeder, was one of the most influential original U.S. Normande breeders. Jay Swisher and Sons also imported French heifers and the bull, Norman I; they quickly became the largest Normande breeder ever in the U.S. Their herd grew to 500 full blood, purebred and percentage Normande cows.
In total in the 1970’s, 23 Normande heifers, 6 bulls and semen on 9 other bulls were imported into the U.S. and Canada. In 1982, the North American Normande Association (NANA) was formed with the registry located in Ames, Iowa. The American Normande Association merged with NANA in 1985. The NANA registry is now currently in Rewey, Wisconsin and have over 50 registered Normande breeders in the membership.
